The Portland daily press., 1887-02-23
The Cattle Disease Investigation.

To the Editor 0fthe Press:
Noticing In the PRESS and many other pa
pers In our State, and also New England, edi-
torial articles commenting upon the manage
ment at the State College farm in reference
to the disease that broke out among the cat
tie there some time since l, as farmer and
dealer. in stock, beg permission through your
columns TO say few words.
wish II to be understood that / am not
writing the article to favor the Secretary Of
the Board Of Agriculture or his prosecutors,
not wishing to mix up In any personal row
Seeing plainly that the farmers interests are
somewhat at stake In the matter, II Is for
them l speak. Inetieed in Boston paper
an editorial cautioning Massachusetts, peo-
pie against Maine diseased cattle. Now right
mere wish to ask one question. Is there.1
case OF tuberculosis In the state or Maine To-
day, and If there Is where Is it? Can DR..
Bailey or any other man stand up and take
his oath that thereis? Ifhe can why doesn't
he do 1t? Why cause all this smoke without
fire under It? II frightens people. l under
stand that buyers have refused TO purchase
eastern cows in Brighton, Mass. already.
why, II this goes on the State will be quar-
antin0d inside OF four weeks. Then what
have you done for the farmers Of our State2
They say they are going to dig this whole
thing out by Investigation. What is the use
to dig after skunk when there IS no skunk
in the hole. The diseased cattle were de-
stroyed long ago, and do not believe there
Is an animal affected with tuberculosis Ia the
state at the present time. They talk about
the eleven bulls and their fifteen hundred Off
spring. Does any one suppose we are going
to pay for them and have them slaughtered
when they are all healthy and all right. be-
cause their great-grandmOther died with
the disease? don't know what the doctors
and the editors Will say, but II the farmers
are asked their answer will be no.
was very much surprised In noticing
the remark purported to be made by Secre-
tary Gilbert that there were cases OF tuber.
culosls all over the State. l think there
must be some mistake In regard TO this state
ment. think Secretary Gilbert knows bet
ter than TO make any such statement. In
regard TO the disease being so very cOnta-
giOus, let me cite the WATERFORD case, which
happened May last upon Mr.. Scribner's
farm. The alarm was given and the cattle
commissioners were called. They found an
old cow sick unto death with tuberculosis.
Ihey killed another COW and found slight
symptoms Of disease. They also killed the
cows calf three months old, and found IL
healthy. The remainder Of the herd were
supposed to be more OF less affected and
were quarantined, turned into pasture and
ran through the summer. One pair Of oxen
were among the herd They took on flesh,
did well and were sold in the fall all right
A.NAtfSs. Aht HthCA Idtttc uiu Wtll anu
there Is no disease then and has not been
since to the knowledge of any one. Who
was to blame for this outbreak Now / am
well aware that the farmers-sOme Of them
mean-have became somewhat preiudiced
against Jersey cattle Of late, but don't be-
lieye there Is a farmer who owns one Of those
bulls or their progeny who would suffer Il 10
be killed unless diseased and 1 don't believe
there is one Of them that Is diseased. III
there were the whole State Of Maine would
know 1t within twenty-four hours after 1t
was discovered. But II there are any that
show the least signs Of tuberculosis they
should be destroyed.
Now | say the .cattle that were upon the
college farm are gane, and you can hold
thousand Investigations and IL win net bring
them back. SO fix the law 70 protect the cat
tie interests Stock up the farm and try il
again, and not sacrifice the interests Of ali
the farmers Of the State for the sole purpose
OF gratifying few hot headed fanatics who
are suffering with cattle disease on the brain
Dy cutting of the head Of one innocent man
VINO was not any more responsible for the
outbreak OF the disease, or its management
after the outbreak than any other one OF the
cattle commissioners.
j. M. DEERING. Saco.